6 Reasons I love Euro vision song contest

Bundesliga Champions 2013, Euro Vision song contest

Of football and song contests....

European Flags

Two things happened on Saturday. First and foremost, the Bundesliga season 2013 officially ended. Bayern Munich had a few weeks earlier officially celebrated their emphatic Bundesliga victory. In no other year has a football team dominated the Bundesliga as much as Bayern did this
year. I don’t know if I am weird but I do think that there is something wrong about a team or anyone dominating a sport so much as to wrap up the championship long before the season has
ended. Isn’t the purpose of sport competition?

Still, I think there are a lot of things that Bayern Munich did right. Their coach for one did an excellent job of managing a star studded team. We all know that having the right players is
just one part of the equation.

In the spirit of sportsmanship, I’ll do what any good sport should do and even if grudgingly, say the words out aloud. Congratulations Bayern Munich!

Later in the evening, I sat down for my yearly TV highlight; the Euro vision song contest. To all the huhs, that are flying around, the Euro vision song contest, is a song contest amongst
European countries that takes place once every year, usually in May. It is said to be the the most watched TV event in Europe.

Three years ago, Germany's Lena Meyer-Landrut won it and instantly became a superstar. From being picked up on
arrival from Norway by the then prime minister of Niedersachsen and later Germany's president, Christian Wulff, Lena became the face of a young carefree Germany that was loved by everyone.

I am one of the people who religiously watch Euro Vision song contest so I figured I could try to list the reasons why I am such a fan;

1.The accents

It is easy to forget that Europe is home to so many different people who all speak different languages. Watching the presenters relay the results in English or what sounds like English makes one
appreciate how ambitious an idea, the EU project is.

2.The loyalty

One of the most hilarious parts of Euro vision song contest is the voting part. Almost always, the neighbors vote for each other e.g Greece giving maximum points to Cyprus and Scandinavians
giving each other maximum points etc. Woe unto you if you are an island like poor old United Kingdom!

3.Democracy

Despite the ridiculous voting patterns in the Euro vision song contest, the songs that win usually garner votes from all over Europe. The Danish winner this year garnered 281 points from all over Europe.

4.The ‘funniest’ presenters

Those who present the results from their respective countries are usually so excited and so nervous(probably aware that it is their one minute of fame), that they are almost always a
disaster.

5.Enthusiastic fans

The guy who moderates the show for Germany is such an enthusiastic Euro Vision fan that he always infects me with his good cheer. On saturday, he kept moaning about how unfair it was that no
country was awarding Germany any points. He was particularly heartbroken when Netherlands and Austria barely awarded Germany any points. How can I not love that?

And finally,

I know that Euro Vision song contest is cheesy and the songs are, to
borrow from my eight year old daughter's words, 'really bad'. But there is still something magical about it. Maybe it is the glitz and glamour that is so contra to the daily life in Europe. Or
may be it is the appreciation of how far this continent has come. I just know one thing for sure, I'm looking forward to next year's show!